Fundraisers | Pensbury Scholarship

Fundraisers

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Over the years there have been many fundraisers, some large efforts and some very modest ranging from the “Pageant of Progress” in 1960, to the Foundation’s anniversary celebrations, to promotions in cooperation Chick-fil-A and other restaurants.

The Pennsbury Schools PTA Program had been awarding scholarships of its own, prior to the formation of the Foundation, and continued for a few years in partnership with the Foundation. As stated in The Pennsbury Schools Report of September 1958, the PTA raised “money for its scholarship fund through various parties, Saturday movie cartoons, postal auctions and other events.”

In the beginning of the Foundation the Directors raised funds largely through conversations with others. Medill Bair set up a Medill Bair Scholarship Fund to encourage donations. The Pennsbury Schools Report of June, 1965, outlined where the Foundation got its money: “a sampling of resources: (a) Life Insurance provisions, (b) Outright donations, (c) Donations of savings bonds, (d) Real Estate, (e) Corporate shares of stocks, (f) Corporate bonds, (g) Gifts through wills, trust accounts, etc., (h) Industrial firms and corporations setting aside a percentage of annual advertising budget, (i) PTA and Pennsbury Education Association contributions through fundraising activities, (j) Service Clubs and Civic Organizations budgeting funds for scholarship purposes.”

The Hayes Trust can be considered a fundraiser, based on the effort of Clifford Nelson in the early days to get William H. Hayes to consider an endowment for the Foundation.

The Endowed Namesake Scholarship program also has been a sustained fundraiser, as are the Donor Circles that serve to encourage continued donations. The following are accounts of specific, one-time efforts.

As stated in the 35th Anniversary celebration booklet of 1991, “Building Careers,” “Perhaps the Foundation’s most ambitious fundraiser [at the time], one that drew the most concentrated attention to the organization, was the large industrial and commercial “Pageant of Progress” May 5, 6 and 7, 1960, in the gymnasium of the Charles Boehm High School. Exhibits were set up by more than 100 firms of all sizes in Lower Bucks County. The show was planned to be opened by Miss America 1959, Mary Ann Mobley, but she had a scheduling conflict, so the show was opened by Miss New York State 1959, Bonnie Jo Marquis, who had won the Miss America swimsuit competition the previous September. The exposition raised $10,000 for the scholarship fund.

More frequently, though, in those early years, social events at local clubs augmented contributions from local groups, businesses and individuals. One dance, the Carribean Frolic, held at the Warrington Country Club, featured a grand prize of an all-expenses-paid Caribbean trip. Spring dances at the Trenton Country Club became traditional fundraisers for several years in the early1960s.” The 5th annual dance, held June 4,1965, was titled “Academic Frolic” and tickets were $5.00 per couple. The 6th annual dance, titled “Dollars for Scholars, “was held in June 1966. Tickets remained at $5.00 per couple.

One newspaper clipping found in the scholarship office file shows PSF President Larry Sullivan signing a contract for the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team to play a regular season game against the Baltimore Bullets in the Charles Boehm High School court to benefit the Pennsbury Scholarship Foundation.

The 1991 35th Anniversary Celebration booklet quotes Ronald E. Vaughn, Director from 1961-1985, as recalling, “And to ensure that all of the money raised went into scholarships, directors frequently threw money into the pot to pay for mailing and office expenses.”

The 1991 booklet goes on to say, “In the late 1980s the Foundation created a Monopoly-like board game, “Discover Pennsbury,” selling it through the PTO's and at various Pennsbury gatherings throughout the school year. The project, pushed to completion by Foundation President Norma Lindblom, pinpointed properties in the school district and engaged players in buying and selling them.”

The1991 booklet also records the contributions of David Barto, who was still living at the time: “Meanwhile, David Barto, a Pennsbury English teacher, has recreated the Life and Times of Henry David Thoreau in a one-man stage show and many of his earnings from these performances have been given to the Foundation. Because of his uncanny likeness to the New England-born scholar who lived on the shore of his beloved Walden Pond near Concord, Mass., Barto decided one day to show up before the class dressed like Thoreau. He recalls it was a risk taken because of his frustration at what he considered his failure to ignite a spark of interest among his pupils. But it went over big and since then, he has built a performance to such a high point that he spends his summers at Walden Pond, where the Massachusetts Division of Tourism touts him as a major attraction. He has never forgotten to aid the Pennsbury Scholarship Foundation and has served on its annual screening committee to select the newest crop of recruits.”

In February 1966, the Foundation sponsored a basketball game at the Charles Boehm High School, between the Harlem Satellites, featuring Rookie Brown, star of the “Harlem Globetrotters” movie, and the Area All-Stars. The promotion said, “The world’s zaniest, craziest showmen will provide half time entertainment.” Tickets were $1 for students and $1.50 for adults.

Periodic Anniversary Celebrations evolved into significant fundraisers. These celebrations grew into gala events with a lot of people and a lot of work involved.

In 1981 at the 25th Anniversary dinner at the Yardley Country Club, Clayton Mills was honored for his 25 years of service as Treasurer. No records, besides a news clipping, have been found.
In 1991 the 35th Anniversary Celebration at the Royce Hotel in Langhorne, the expected attendance was 64 and donations amounted to $415.
In 1996 at the 40th Anniversary Celebration at the Bucks Sheraton Hotel in Langhorne, 32 patrons, friends and sponsors were listed in the program booklet but no record of finances.
In 2001 at the 45th Anniversary Celebration at the Bucks Sheraton Hotel in Langhorne, 59 sponsors, patrons and friends were listed in the program booklet. Revenue less expenses was $4,149.
In 2006 at the 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Sheraton Bucks County Hotel in Langhorne, there were 115 attendees and 80 donors. Donations less expenses were $14,365. This was regardless of the planning committee’s internal decision not to make it a fundraiser!
In 2011 at the 55th Anniversary Celebration at the Sheraton Bucks County Hotel, 57 attended, there were 33 donors and friends and donations were $5,045.
In 2016 at the 60th Anniversary Celebration at the Sheraton Bucks County Hotel, 84 attended, there were 58 donors and donations were $12,130.

In 2012, a “Cup of Tea” fundraiser netted almost $3,500. This involved sending invitations with tea bags, to people who had supported the 40th Anniversary Celebration the year before. The invitation invited the recipient to “relax, enjoy your tea, and think about making a donation again this year.” A return envelope was provided. The committee members were B.J. Rassler, Cathie Streckewald and Wanda Long. Cathie arranged with Terry Kelly at Pennsbury Schools for the printing and purchased the tea bags. B.J. ran off additional return-address labels and Wanda hand-wrote over one hundred invitations (with a broken hand!), stuffed the envelopes, sealed and stamped them and sent them out. Thirty-two donors made contributions of $3,505 and out-of-pocket costs were $42. It was a successful project involving only three people.

Small fundraisers, designed to build awareness of the Foundation, have included information tables set up at Chick-fil-A and Yardley's Vince's Pizza who offered meal discounts to customers who would identify as supporting the Foundation.

One unique fundraiser involved helping to publicize booksignings for a local author, Dr. Donald Longnecker. He had been wounded in WWII and rendered a paraplegic. His autobiography chronicled his triumphs and tribulations as he journeyed through life. He dedicated a portion of the book sales to the Foundation.

The PTO’s continued to make donations to the Foundation from the beginning and have used fundraising for the Foundation as a way to teach children about sharing, donating and helping others. An example is children in Manor Elementary School in 1998 and 1999, who saved their extra pennies, which then were matched by the PTO, and presented their donations to representatives of the Foundation.

In 2013, a Basket Raffle was conducted that netted $3,215. The Foundation committee members learned more than they wanted as they worked through the Bucks County rules and guidelines regarding games of chance! They found that the cost of a license ($10) changed substantially if the basket or baskets exceeded $1,000 in value, so they stopped soliciting businesses and artists for donations when they got to the $1,000 mark. They found also that they couldn’t advertise in newspapers or on the radio, nor could they state on their flyers the value of each specific item in the basket. They found that there were very specific rules about what could and could not be on the actual raffle tickets. Further, they found that they weren’t allowed to sell raffle tickets in Lower Makefield Township in accordance with LMT regulations. They forged ahead, selling tickets from their display table at Harvest Day, Historic Fallsington Day and Pennsbury football games and through personal solicitations. They also displayed the basket at the 2013 Recipient Reception. It all paid off but they worked hard for their money!

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Compiled from the files of Wanda Long, files in the Foundation office and online. - Hal Long

1965 June Pensbry SchlsRpt Academic Frol